My work centers on mental health, trauma, and healing. I create to understand the weight of difficult experiences, both my own and others’, and to give them a space outside the body. Through abstraction, I explore emotion without confining it to a single narrative, allowing viewers to find their own reflection within the work. I want them to connect to the feeling rather than the event that inspired it. I move fluidly between mediums and processes; each concept determines its form. Some emotions demand color, while others call for something monochromatic or sculptural. I ask what would make the emotion louder and more honest, then turn to research, gathering books, studying movements like surrealism and realism, and sketching until the image begins to breathe. Even when the imagery feels dark, the act of creating becomes part of the healing. These works are not meant to comfort. They confront the pain many carry in silence. With so many living through abuse, addiction, and grief, art becomes a space where those emotions can exist openly and still hold beauty. For me, art is not an escape but a confrontation, and within that confrontation lies the possibility of healing.

Tamica Smith (Tam) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work centers on mental health, using art as a tool for healing, connection, and self-understanding. Born and raised in Wyoming, where mental health conversations are often overlooked, Tam’s creative practice aims to give form to emotions that are difficult to express through words. Tam is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at Black Hills State University (BHSU), where she will graduate in May 2026. Her professor, Bridget Beck, deeply influenced her approach by encouraging her to explore abstract realism and embrace freedom within her process. Before this, Tam focused on realism, but she found abstraction allowed her to create work that resonated more deeply with both herself and her audience.

Inspired by emotion, her own or others’, Tam often researches art history to blend different movements and concepts within her work. She primarily creates two-dimensional pieces that explore the relationship between vulnerability and strength. Her artwork has been featured in several exhibitions, including the Presidential Gallery Exhibition at BHSU (2025), the Matthews Opera House Mental Health Exhibition (2025), and multiple Juried Student Exhibitions in Spearfish, SD.

Tam plans to pursue a Master’s in Art Therapy, continuing to explore the intersection of art and emotional healing.

Education

2026   

• BFA Studio Art and Psychology Minor at Black Hills State University at Spearfish, SD   

Professional Experience

2024-2026

• BHSU- Wenona Cook Art Studios
• Canyon Hills Center- Residental Worker/ group leader (teaching art classes) 

Awards, Grants, and Fellowships

2022

• Daniel's Fund Regional Scholarship 
• United States Senate Youth Program   

Exhibitions

2024   

• Juried Student Fine Art Exhibition, Spearfish, SD – Three artworks selected

2025   

• Presidential Gallery Exhibition, Black Hills State University– Three artworks selected
• Juried Student Exhibition, Spearfish, SD-Two artworks selected
  
• Matthews Opera House Mental Health Exhibition, Spearfish, SD– Three artworks selected
  
• Matthews Opera House Community Artwork Exhibition, Spearfish, SD– Three artworks accepted